Remains of John Boyse, Sermon 15
IAMES. 5. 16.
Confitemini invicem peccata vestra: Confesse your faults one to another.
OVr iniquities make a aEsay 59. 2.separation betweene God and vsus, and withhold his good thinges from vsus, Ierem. 5. 25. Now then, vt cessante causa cesset effectus, that the cause ceasing, its effect also may cease; S. Iames in the closing vp of his Epistle, prescribeth a bAquin in loc.three-fold remedie, for the remouing of our sinnes, Eclipsing the Sunne of righteousnesse, and hiding his face from vsus.
The first is, confession of our faults, one to another, in our present text.
The second is, prayer one for another, in the words immediatly following.
The third is, exhorting one of another, in the 19. and 20 verses.
Concerning confession, hee sets downe cGorran in fundamento aurec. serm. 1. fers. 2. in rogation.fiue conditions, especially, to wit; that it be,
1 Non involuta, sed aperta, not inuoluved and intricate, but ingenuous, and plaine, noted in the verbe, fatemini.
2 Non diuisa, sed integra, not a partiall acknowledgement, but a Plenarie, noted in the preposition, Con. Confitemini.
3 Non reciproca, sed transitiua, not recoyling toward our selues, but vttered vntounto others also, noted in the Aduerbe, Inuicem.
4 Non defensiua, sed accusatiua, not defensiue, but accusatiue, noted in the Nowne, peccata; faults.
5 Non aliena, sed Propria, not another mans, but our own, noted in the Pronoune, Vestra, your faults.
Touching prayer, one for another, he shewes the great power thereof, illustrated by the Prophet Elias example, who being a man subiect to the like passions, as wee, dAquin.that is, frayle, both in respect of his mind, and body, in respect of his mind, as fleeing from angry Iesabel, 1. Kings 19. In respect of his body, as being fed by Raue…s, and by the little cake of a poore widdow, dwelling in Zarepta, 1. Kings 17. Yet with one prayer he shut vp the windowes of heauen, and it rained not on the earth, for three yeeres, and sixe moneths, And with another earnest prayer, hee did open them againe, and the heauen gaue raine, and the earth brought soorth her increase.
As for exhorting one another, he doth vrge that duty from the most excellent reward thereof, If any of you hauehave erred from the trueth, and some man hath conuerted him, let him know, that hee that hath conuerted the sinner, from going astray out of his way shall saue a soule from death, and shall hide a multitude of sinnes. It is the worke of God, only to saue soules eSee. Ce…in. Marlorat A … in loc.causally, but occasionally, good men, as Ministers, and Instruments of God, are sayd to saue soules, in conuerting sinners from euill courses, vntounto the right way, by fruitfull instructions and good examples. So the Scripture speakes, Matth. 18. 15. If hee heare thee, thou hast won thy brother, and more plainly, 1. Tim. 4. 16. Take heede vntounto thy selfe, and vntounto thy doctrine, continue therein; for in so doing, thou shalt both saue thy selfe, and them that heare thee.
I am at this time, to treat of confession, and the condition thereof; I therefore resume my text, Confesse your faults, one to another; A fPaulin…s Epist… lib 1. Epist 4.sinner vnregenerate, is like gIudg. 16. 21.Sampson, grinding in the prison house, corne for his enemies, the greater his labour, the more his losse; Now the first step out of this vnhappy prison, is the acknowledgement of his faults, as the reuerend Father, hIn Paraenesi.Nilus, initium salutis est sui ipsius accusatio. The condemning of his infirmities, is the beginning of his sauing health; Adam in couering his offence, did offend more, then in committing it; all the sonnes of Adam hauehave this imbred cunning, to hide their nakednesse, with iGen 3. 1.fig-leaues, that is, their naughtinesse with idle cloaks, and excuses, it is motherwit, to post and passe sinne from our selues, vntounto some other; As when almighty God, arraigned Adam in Paradise, for transgressing his commandement, in eating of the forbidden fruit; hee presently layd the fault vponupon Eua, his wife; she being questioned, layd it vponupon the serpent; and the serpent vponupon God: Albeit, vngodly men (as kAig… salutis do… … … Pente…ost.our notes) declines their sinnes, throughout all the cases; in the Nominatiue, by their pride, to get them a name; in the Genitiue, by their fornication; in the Datiue, by their Bribes; in the Accusatiue, by their Detracting, and backbiting; In the Vocatiue, By their adulation, and flattering; In the Ablátiue, By their oppression, and robberies; Yet they will not acknowledge their sinnes, in any case, yea when other mens examination hath found them out excuses already, lBeynard tract de gra… … tatis grad. 8.non feci; si feci, non mali feci; si mali feci, non multum malè; si multum malè, non malâ intentione; aut si malâ intentione, tamen aliena suasiene; That is, either I did not doe it, or if I did do it, it was not ill; Or if ill, it was not much ill; Or if much ill, it was not with an ill intention; Or if with an ill intention, it was vponupon anothers perswasion; I sayd I will confesse my sinnes, quoth mPsal. 32. 6.Dauid; But the nPsal. 14. 1.foole saith in his heart, I will neuer confesse my faults, and if oEst. …. 4. 16.I perish, I perish. Our sins are termed in the Scripture, pEsay. 1. 6.sicknesse, & sores ful of corruption; as then a bodily wound cannot be exactly healed, vnlesse it first be opened, and searched by some cunning chirurgion, vntounto the very core; So the griefes of a wounded conscience, cannot be throughly cured, vnlesse they bee reuealed vntounto some friendly Physitian, apt, and able to bind vp the broken hearted, and to comfort such as mourne in sinne; If thy confession in this case, be forced, and not free; palliatedb Pro. 28. 13. S… nos peccati nostri simus memores, deu… obliuiscitur Divu…. Chrisost: hom 3…. in Ep…. ad Heb. and not plaine, what doest thou but fester a wound, and foster a sore within thy owne bosome ▪ I will end this argument, in the words of … Solomon, He that hideth his sinnes, shall not prosper, but hee that confesseth and for saketh them, shall hauehave mercy.
The second condition of confession is, that it be Plenarie, and not Partiall, and that is implied in the preposition, Con, as Aquine, vponupon the place, Confitemini, id est, simul fatemini, confesse one fault with another, as you confesse your faults one to another: Conscience before sinne, is fraenum, a b…idle, but after sinne, Flagrum, a whip; If the reuerend man, and Martyr of God, Father rAs he reports of himselfe in a sermon preached at Stamford, the which is among his other sermons fol. 96.Latymer, tooke speciall care to the placing of his wordes in his examination, after he heard the pen walking in the chimny, behind the cloth of Arras, how circumspectly should wee looke to our wayes, seeing conscience recordeth all our actions in sApoc. 20. 12.bookes that are to bee shewed at the day of iudgement, being either a witnesse for vsus or against vsus, excusing, or accusing, Rom. 2. 15. If any grieuous crime then afflict thy soule, confesse it, and so confound it, as tLuke 23. 26.Simon of Cyrene did helpe to beare Christs Crosse; So thou mayest vndoubtedly, find some good, and discreete friend, who will in such a case, helpe to beare thy crosse, confesse your faults, one to another, saith S. Iames, and so beare one anothers burden, saith S. Paul▪ Galat. 6. 2▪
… in dissembling a part of their debts vntounto their fathers, and other deare friends, which are ready to take some good course, for the payment of them, often vtterly ruine their whole temporall estate; For one hundred pound not confessed, and left vnpa…d, is a brood egge to mul iply new debts, vntill they be so dangerous and desperate, as the old sinnes are debts, as Christ teacheth in his absolute forme of prayer, and sinners are ding-thrifts, as Christ teacheth in his parable of the prodigall sonne, mentioned Luke 15. The concealing then of one heynous crime, that is a burden to the conscience, from our Father in heauen, and from our good friends on earth (able to uEsay. 50 4.Minister wordes in time, to him that is wearie, Like xProu 25. 11.Apples of gold in pictures of siluer,) may proue the mother of many foule sinnes, vntounto the finall vndoing of our spirituall, and Ghostly welfare. Hee which is to take possession of a Church, or a common house, will (according to the tenour of our law,) be sure to shut out of the doores, man, woman, and child, that may disturbe his quiet taking of seising; Christ stands at the doores of our hearts, and knocks, he desires a peaceable possession of our bodies, and soules, as being his Temples and houses; O then (I beseech you) let vsus cast out of our doores, man, woman, and child, eueryevery crying crime, that rebelleth against him; If there remaine but one fault, not confessed, it may keepe possession for the deuill, and so the King of glory will not enter in, and sup with vsus, and dwell in vsus, but the foule spirit returnes againe, bringing seauen other spirits, worse then himselfe, and then alas, our end shall be worse then our beginning, Luke 11. 26. The z1. Sam. 15. 3.Lord commanded Saul to smite Amalek, and to destroy all that perteined vntounto him, and to slay both man and woman, both infant and sucklings, both oxen, and sheepe, both camels and asses: our sins are Amalekites, that burne our a1 Sam. 30. 1.Ziklag, and set on fire, the little city, captiuating our senses, and making them prisoners vntounto their lustes: If then we spare but one Agag; it may cost vsus a kingdome, and such a kingdome, as is farre better then the kingdome of Saul▪ a kingdome that cannot be bHeb. 12. 28.shaken, an inheritance which is immortall, and neuer falles away 1. Pet. 1. 4.
The third condition here required, in confession, is, that it be Transitiua, to wit, a confession vntounto another; And therefore Cardinall cLib. …. de pae…entia. cap 4.Bellarmin, and other Papists, vsually cite this Scripture, to prone their auricular confession of sinnes vntounto the Priest, vponupon payne of damnation eueryevery yeare. But dArtic de confes. et satis.Melancton in his Apology, for the confession of Augusta, Caluin, in the third booke of his institutions, Chap. 4. sect. 12. Erasmus▪ Fulke, Marlorate, Bullenger, VponUpon the place, hauehave well obserued, that the word Inuicem, intimates plainly, that this text is to be construed, not of Sacramentall confession (as the Papists vse to speake) but of a mutuall confession, and so consequently, the Priest (if he hauehave done any wrong) is inioyned by this Canon, to confesse his faults vntounto his Parishioners, aswel as the Parishioners are bound to confesse their faults vntounto their Priest, If they hauehave trespassed him.
Nay the eIn loc.Rhemists are so modest, as to say, that it is not certaine, S. Iames here speaketh of Sacramentall …fession, and Cardinall Caietan, of all the Doctours in his age, the most accuratly learned, as … Pererius the Iesuite writes of him, a man addicted so much vntounto Poperie, g that had he liued a little longer, hee had beene chosen Pope, confesseth ingeniously, hCom. in loc.Non est hic sermo de confessione facramentali, vt patet ex èo quod dicit, confitemini inuicem, sacramentalis enim confessio non fit inuicem, sed sacerdotibus tantum.
As for Popish auricular confession, our Diuines affirme truly, First, that it is a nouelty; iAnnot. in lib. Tertullian. de p…nitentia.Beatus Rhenanus, a Papisticall authour, auowes that it was vnknowne in the dayes of Tertullian, who liued about two hundred yeeres after Christ; and kSent: lib. 4. destenct: 17.Peter Lambard saith, Happily it was not vsed in S. Ambrose time, who liued about foure hundred yeares after Christ; and lApud Hie…. To…. 1. fol 201.Erasmus in his annotations vponupon S. Hieroms Epistle to Oceanus, touching the death of Fabiola, writes peremptorily, that it was not ordeined in S. Hieroms age. The Greeke Church (as mMelanct. Tom. …. fol. 101. …t …ewel defence of his apologie. fol. 156Theodorus reports) hath no such custome. Mr nIewel vbi supra fol. …48.Harding being hardly pursued, is constrained, in despite of his will, and wit, to grant that the termes of auricular and secret confession, are seldome mentioned in the Fathers; oAn…ot: in Act 19.Erasmus, and pVbi supra.Rhenanus affirme they were neuer vsed in old time▪ so that as reuerend Iewel sayd, if Harding had left out the word seldome, and sayd▪ neuer, his tale had beene the truer: The challenge then of qInstitut. lib. 3. cap. 4 sect. 7.Caluin is iustifiable, that the auricular Popish confession was not practised in the Church, vntill twelue hundred yeeres after Christ, … first in the Laterane councell, vnderunder … the third.
2 We say that auricular confession is not necessary, for that it is an humane tradition, & not a diuine constitution, as their owne rMelancton …bi su…ra.Panormitan, acknowledgeth, and sIn su…: quast 18. art. 4. vti. Morton apolog part. 1. cap. 64.Maldonate their Iesuite writes expressely, that many Catholiks are of the same opinion, as namely Scotus, among the schoolemen, and the expounders of Gratian, among the Canonists.
3 Wee say, that auricular confession of all faults, is impossible; for who can tell how oft he doth offend? Psalme. 19. 12. Our sinnes are more then the haires of our heads, quoth tPsal. 40. 15.Dauid, and (as King Manasses, in his prayer,) more then the sand of the sea, now, quod sine numero est quomodo numerabo? saith uSerm de quadru …lici de▪ bito. see Harmo… confesis. pect. 8.Bernard.
4 Wee say that it is a pernicious practise, by which a great many men are damnified, if not damned, many doubtlesse suffer dammages in their purses, and personall estate, because confessions euermore make worke for indulgences and indulgences are agreat support of the Popes triple Crowne: xFox Martyr. fol. 35….There was a booke written, Anno 1343. entituled, Poenitentiarius asini, Wherein, are brought foorth, the Wolfe, the Foxe, and the Asse▪ comming to confession, and doing penance, First the Wolfe confessed himselfe to the Foxe, who doth absolue him easily from his faults, and excuse him in the same; Then the Wolfe hearing the Foxes shrift, affordes him the like fauour, Lastly, … asse commeth to confession, whose … was this, that hee being hungry, tooke a straw from out the sheafe, of one that went in peregrination vntounto Rome; the dull asse, though repenting of this fact, yet because hee thought it no… so heinous, as the faults of the other, had immediatly the discipline of the law, with all seuerity, neither was he i…dged worthy of any pardon or absolution, but was apprehended vponupon the same, slaine, and deuoured; whosoeuer was the penner of this fabulous tale, had a mysticall vnderstanding in the same, For by the Wolfe, (no doubt) was meant the Pope; by the Foxe, the Prelats, and Priests, and the rest of the spirituallity; the Pope is soone absolued of the spirituallity, and the spirituallity, soone absolued of the Pope; By the Asse, is meant, the poore Laytie, vponupon whose backe, the strict censure of the law is executed sharpely.
Moreouer, Popish a…ricular confession is exceeding hurtfull vntounto the sou…s of ignorant people, yMarcus An tonius de domini… in ser. in Rom. 13. 12. page 40.who being beguiled with this blinding, and benighting doctrine, trust so much to their externall confession, and externall absolution, that they neglect inward, and intire repentance. This opinion assuredly breeds vp a sinner, and makes him (as it were) fat in iniquity; For (as z…yr E… Sandy▪ r…lat of relig…: sect. 7.one sayd wittily,) the Papists account of confes sion▪ as drunkards of vomiting, and say, When wee hauehave s…nned, wee must confesse, and when we hauehave confessed, wee must s…nne againe, that we may confesse againe; So they sticke fast in their sinnes, as thinking they hauehave done their parts, whe… …hey hauehave runne ouer the bed-roule of their … and so receiued a formall absolution; In our aFox Martyr fol. 14 …. et 1903.Churches history, we read, that a certaine Popish Priest, named Nightingall, Parson of Crondal in Kent, who preaching vponupon Shrove-Sunday to his parishioners, and taking for his theame, the words of S. Iohn, If we say wee hauehave no sinne, we deceiue our selues, and the trueth is not in vsus; Told them, he had receiued the Popes pardon from Cardinall Poole, exhorting them also to receiue the same, seeing that he stood now so free from sinne, as he did at the fontstone, and cared not now if he should die the same houre, in the cleanesse of his conscience, whereupon, being suddenly stricken by the hand of God, he immediatly shrunke downe, into the Pulpit, and so was found dead, speaking not one word more.
Well then, if S Iames here meant not auricular confession, vponupon constraint, vntounto the Priest eueryevery yeare, let vsus examine, what confession it is, of which he sayth, acknowledge your faults one to another; Our Church in the second part of the homilie concerning repentance, and Caluin, institutionum. lib. 3. cap. 4 sect 12. affirme that there is a two fold confession of faults, one to another, enioyned in the holy Scripture, the first is for the satisfaction of our neighbours, if wee hauehave trespassed against them, and the second is, for the satisfaction of our owne selues; If at any time, wee feele our consciences afflicted heauily with any grieuous crimes, of both which our text may be cons…d, as being Christian duties, exceed…y requisite, not only in our sicknesse, but in our health also.